Kristine McKenna Interview on David Lynch by LA Times

Kristine McKenna is the co-author of David Lynch's newly published half biography, half memoir Room to Dream (2018), a book I intend to read and review in the near future. Kristine was recently interviewed by Mark Olsen of the LA Times and they shared their entire discussion on a podcast, which I have shared with you below.

Glass (2019) Trailer! Shyamalan's Unbreakable (2000) / Split (2016) Crossover!

M. Night Shyamalan's new movie Glass (2019), the trailer for which is down below, has been literally twenty years in the making. Ever since audiences were tricked into watching a comic book-inspired superhero origin story masquerading as a supernatural thriller with Unbreakable (2000), fans of the film have been hoping for a sequel that would push the premise to its fullest. And funny enough, nearly two decades later, Shyamalan tricked movie audiences again into watching a secret sequel/spinoff of Unbreakable masquerading as a standalone horror film: Split (2016).

The Dark Knight (2008) 10th Anniversary!

Today is July 18, 2018, the tenth anniversary of the theatrical release of Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008). Not only was this film ridiculously well-received by audiences at the box office, but even the film critics who typically disliked superhero films were stunned into silence at this powerful cinematic tour de'force. Below is a great New Rockstars YouTube video commemorating the film's 10th Anniversary and analyzing some of the movie's subtly brilliant moments that are easy to miss.

Lo-Fi Physicality of Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) - Spontification

As part of our ongoing series to spotlight excellent David Lynch-related video essays online, here is one from the YouTube channel Alternating Line. In this video essay, included below, we explore the deliberately simple special effects David Lynch employs in Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) and contrast it with the more sophisticated special effects he occasionally drops in. What is he communicating with this dichotomy?

Kimmy Robertson and Harry Goaz Q&A

Few things better symbolize the magic of Twin Peaks (1990-91) than the tumultuous romance of Sheriff's Receptionist Lucy and Deputy Andy, brought to life by the completely unique Kimmy Robertson and Harry Goaz. I was fortunate enough to get to know Kimmy a little bit in real life a number of years ago and she is a truly remarkable person and every bit as kind-hearted and spiritual as the character she plays. And as she points out, she travels to as many Twin Peaks fan festivals and events as she can. And as you will see in the video below, she is a delight to talk to about any topic.

Science Fiction Legend Harlan Ellison Passes Away

Harlan Ellison passed away on June 27, 2018, five days ago. When I first heard on Twitter, I felt shattered. It is not like I personally knew him, but from the interviews and documentaries I have seen of him, I almost feel like I did. He was a man who lived a full life, doing what he loved, and was constantly fighting against the injustices of humankind. He fought for people to respect Science Fiction as a legitimate art form and he certainly helped contribute more than his fair share of great work to help prove he was correct.

Matthew Lillard Discusses His Experience on Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

I have been a fan of Matthew Lillard since his unforgettable supporting role as "Cereal Killer" in Hackers (1995) and he later cemented his place in my all-time hall of fame of actors with his surprising twist performance in Scream (1996) and his irascibly charming Shaggy in Scooby Doo (2002). So when the full cast list for Twin Peaks: The Return was released back in 2016, I was happy to find his name among the rest of the 200+ people acting in the revival. In the video clip below, he shares some of his pride and frustration working on this role in a very secret production.

Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016-19) Cancelled?!

I am baffled to relay the news that a surprisingly great TV series Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments (2016-2019) has just been cancelled by its parent FreeForm. It is baffling to me, because this relatively small show, almost completely off the public's radar, has slowly grown over the past three years into my favorite show on television.

Eraserhead: How David Lynch Traps Us

Like most YouTube video essays, this one by Mr. Nerdista is brief, but thankfully to the point. You should check this guy's channel out and explore him further. Mr. Nerdista is now easily one of my favorite YouTubers specializing in film analysis. He uses clips and music to illustrate his point better than most other YouTubers. And he does not belabor his points unnecessarily either.

Twin Peaks, David Lynch, and the Wonder of the Weird

Director David Lynch remarked, "The ideas dictate everything. You have to be true to that or you're dead." And YouTuber Braxton Haugen springboards his video essay on David Lynch's cinematic work with this quote, which he argues is central to understanding the director's eccentric body of work. Again, this is the kind of reevaluation of Lynch's work I have been hoping for all along, so it is gratifying to see more video essays of quality like this one popping up on YouTube.

The Art Influences of David Lynch

Although David Lynch would become known as one of the world's best film directors, interestingly it was always painting that really absorbed most of his artistic attention and interest. Film production came almost as a side effect as he attempted to create paintings with motions and sound. So while most filmmakers tend to emulate the style of other filmmakers, David Lynch is more focused on creating an interesting combination of images, motion, and sound that captivates our attention and stimulates our imagination.

Creative Obsession: David Lynch

Today we continue our examination of the best David Lynch-related video essays on the internet with Jake Jarvi's Creative Obsession. Jake has fun with this essay, examining some of the absurd humor that Lynch favors using in his film style. To a degree, Jake is making more of a humorous profile on the master director, who somehow manages to extract exquisite performances from his actors, in spite of the very eccentric ways he sometimes uses to get there.

David Lynch: Film Auteur or Genre Manipulator?

A good video essay, but I have to ask: why an enforced either/or? David Lynch is both a Film Auteur and a Genre Manipulator, at the same time. One would say his style as a visual author is punctuated by the way he manipulates genres around in his films. It adds an unpredictable quality to all his films.

Mulholland Dr. - A Psychoanalytic Analysis

If there were ever a film in existence begging for some of the good, old psychoanalysis, it would be David Lynch's surreal dream shaped into cinematic form: Mulholland Dr. (2001). Like that crazy dream you once had that you desperately want an interpretation for, Mulholland Dr. taunts us with its occasional non sequitirs, yet deeply evocative and rich symbolism.

Mulholland Dr. - Subconscious & Identity

There are still moments I wonder how amazing a Mulholland Dr. TV series would have been if the Pilot had been successfully picked up and gone to air back in 1999, as originally planned. I imagine the labyrinthine plot unfolding week by week as an amazing cast and guest cast paraded on our TV's  as we follow Adam Kesher's journey trying to make his 60's era film. Or trying to keep track of the many mob and police characters searching for Rita.

Eraserhead - Capturing a Nightmare

Not the longest or deepest analysis of David Lynch's seminal film Eraserhead (1977), but Jack's Movie Reviews on YouTube does give a nice overview of this surreal dream for the new and old viewer alike. And importantly, he shares Lynch's own designs for the film to act like a dream for each person, meaning something personal and potentially different for everyone.

What Does "Lynchian" Mean?

Our quest continues as we explore YouTubers Eric Guzman and Justin Bibler collaborate on their video essay: "What does 'Lynchian' mean?" Although I do have some differing opinions on this subject, I still admire their work on this video and its editing. And much of what they say is believed by other Lynch fans.

Blue Velvet - Masterpiece Films

A fun homage to PBS's Masterpiece Theater, YouTuber Consequence of Sounds takes that old show's format to showcase classic films instead of books. Here she dissects some of the elements of David Lynch's 80's masterpiece to showcase why it still enthralls audiences as much (if not more) today than it ever did before.

Two World Theory of David Lynch

We continue our ongoing project to spotlight the best and most intriguing David Lynch related video essays currently available on the net. This week we begin with a look at YouTuber Astin Lopez's brief video discussing his "Two World Theory" of Lynch's film work. Although his essay presents some excellent examples from Lynch's early films, the analysis itself does not run particularly deep into exploring its intriguing subject.

Update on 40 Years of David Lynch Revisions

Thank you to the patience of the readers who have the preliminary copies of my books right now. I had intended on finishing them much faster than this, but several more unavoidable time-consuming distractions slowed me down. I will go into some more details about my crazy year below, but suffice it to say that I am a man of my word and I am determined to finish soon the final revisions on my all my books in the 40 Years of David Lynch series. Thank you again for your patience.

Twin Peaks: The Return Analysis - Malmrose Projects

And to finish off our look this week at Malmrose Projects various David Lynch video essays, we end with a look at his final analysis: Twin Peaks: The Return (2017). Although Malmrose shares many of my views on the new series from the dynamic duo of David Lynch and Mark Frost, but for my personal views I go into much more detail in my fourth volume of my book series: 40 Years of David Lynch.

Steamed Hams in Twin Peaks (A Parody of The Simpsons)

Perhaps it was just a matter of time before the classic "Steamed Hams" meme from The Simpsons (1989-Present) was crafted into the style of a Twin Peaks (1990-91) scene, but YouTuber First Issue Ever! (Steven Honeycutt) did it first and did it well. I like his re-editing to make it more in the style of David Lynch's TV series, utilizing a couple other Twin Peaks parody moments from The Simpson's run.

Inland Empire Analysis - Malmrose Projects

Next we explore Malmrose Projects's video essay on David Lynch's Inland Empire (2006). Where Mulholland Dr. (2001) was gorgeously filmed and executed, David Lynch's follow-up film was his first feature film to be entirely shot on home video quality Digital Video. Lynch said he liked the texture of the video, which reminded him of the silent film era of blotchy film.

Mulholland Dr. Analysis - Malmrose Projects

We proceed to the next David Lynch video essay by Malmrose Projects, the critically lauded Mulholland Dr. (2001). Sight & Sound Magazine declared it the best film of the 21st century, so far. Although the analysis here is brief, it is still engaging and well-explained. It is a pure cinematic dream and one of the most intriguing films to watch and discuss.

Lost Highway Analysis - Malmrose Projects

We happily present the next David Lynch-related video essay by Malmrose Projects, his analysis of Lost Hghway (1997). Unlike some of the other YouTubers on our list, Malmrose skipped over reviewing the majority of David Lynch's filmography. We can assume he is more interested in discussing Lynch's last three films released theatrically rather than analyze his work as a whole, which is why he skipped directly to what he cares about most. I would be pleased if one day he went back to address David Lynch's other films, which are an amazing odyssey.